Explanation:
Delicate in appearance, these filaments of shocked, glowing gas,
draped in planet Earth's sky toward the constellation of Cygnus,
make up the
Veil Nebula.
The nebula is a large
supernova remnant, an expanding
cloud born of the death explosion of a massive star.
Light from the original supernova explosion likely reached
Earth over 5,000 years ago.
Also known as the Cygnus Loop, the
Veil Nebula now spans
nearly 3 degrees or about 6 times the diameter of
the full Moon.
That translates to over 70 light-years
at its estimated distance of 1,500 light-years.
In fact, the Veil is so large its brighter parts are
recognized as separate nebulae, including The
Witch's Broom
(NGC 6960) at the bottom of
this stunning skyview and
Pickering's Triangle (NGC 6979)
below and right of center.
At the top is the haunting IC 1340.